Astronomic watch

Abstract

The invention concerns astronomic watches capable of indicating the position of heavenly bodies of the solar system with respect to the Earth and to the zodiac. The watch according to the invention is an electronic watch including: a time base ( 1 ) for generating a standard frequency signal, a circuit ( 2 ) for determining the current time and date from said standard frequency signal, this current date including the day of the month, the month and the year, a manual control system ( 7; 21, 22, 23 ) allowing each of said heavenly bodies to be selected, a display system ( 6; 14, 15, 16, 20 ), and means ( 3, 4, 5 ) for determining the position of a selected heavenly body with respect to the Earth and to the signs of the zodiac and for causing this position to be indicated by the display system. Preferably the watch according to the invention is designed to allow the position of a heavenly body to be indicated at a date other than the current date which can be a past or future date. The watch according to the invention has the advantage of being able to be made in the form of a compact watch such as a wristwatch.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An astronomic watch capable of indicating the position of heavenly bodies of the solar system at the current date with respect to the Earth and to the zodiac, this watch being an electronic watch and including: 
       a time base for generating a standard frequency signal;  
       a circuit for determining the current time and date from said standard frequency signal, said current date including the day of the month, the month and the year;  
       a manual control system allowing each of said heavenly bodies to be selected,  
       a display system, and  
       means for determining the position of a selected heavenly body with respect to the Earth and to the signs of the zodiac and for causing this position automatically to be indicated by said display system;  
       wherein said watch is designed to allow a date other than the current date to be selected, and to determine and cause to be indicated by said display system the position of a selected heavenly body at this other date which can be a past or future date,  
       wherein said display system includes an hour hand and a minute hand co-operating with a dial, which indicate the current time when the watch is in normal operating mode, and  
       wherein one of said hands is also used to indicate upon command the position of a selected heavenly body at said current date or at said date other than the current date.  
     
     
       2. An astronomic watch according to claim  1 , wherein the hand indicating the position of the selected heavenly body is the minute hand, in cooperation with representations of the signs of the zodiac carried by the dial and an hour and minute scale of this same dial. 
     
     
       3. The astronomic watch according to claim  1 , wherein said heavenly bodies of the solar system include the Sun and the either planets other than the Earth. 
     
     
       4. An astronomic watch according to claim  3 , designed to determine and indicate also the phases of the Moon. 
     
     
       5. An astronomic watch according to claim  4 , wherein said heavenly bodies also include the Moon. 
     
     
       6. The astronomnic watch according to claim  1 , wherein said means for determining comprises: 
       memory means for storing parameters concerning the zodiac and the relative movements of said heavenly bodies with respect to the earth; and  
       processing and control means, responsive to said parameters and the current data provided by said circuit for determining the current time and date, for calculating said position of said selected heavenly body and for causing said position to be indicated by said display system.  
     
     
       7. The astronomic watch according to claim  1 , this watch being a wristwatch. 
     
     
       8. An astronomic watch according to claim  2 , wherein said minute and hour hands are also used for sequentially indicating upon command the day of the month, the month and the year of said current date and said other date. 
     
     
       9. An astronomic watch according to claim  2 , wherein said display system also includes an electro-optical display cell for simultaneously indicating the day of the month, the month and the year of said current date and said other date. 
     
     
       10. An astronomic watch according to claim  9 , including a case with a crystal, wherein the display cell is incorporated in said crystal or fixed to the back thereof, wherein this cell is transparent when the watch is operating normally and wherein this cell only displays upon command the current date when it is only a question of reading it or selecting another date. 
     
     
       11. An astronomic watch according to claim  1 , wherein said display system also includes a planisphere representing the Earth seen from one pole and effecting one revolution every 24 hours in the anti-clockwise direction to indicate the half of the Earth which is in darkness and the half which is illuminated by the Sun at the time displayed by said hands. 
     
     
       12. The astronomic watch according to claim  1 , wherein the selection of a heavenly body is effected by means of a rotating bezel forming part of said manual control system. 
     
     
       13. An astronomic watch according to claim  12 , wherein said rotating bezel also allows the watch to be placed in an operating mode in which it is possible to select said other date by means of a rotating control stem with several axial positions which also forms part of said manual control system. 
     
     
       14. An astronomic watch according to claim  13 , wherein said control stem also allows time-setting of the watch to be performed.